Self-Serve Coffee Shop Perks Up Interest In North Dakota Town

VALLEY CITY, NORTH DAKOTA - A North Dakota coffee shop that's based on the honor-system is thriving.

David Brekke and his wife opened "The Vault" in downtown Valley City last October.

He says there has been a little theft at the coffee shop that doesn't have any staff, but overall business has been excellent. He says, "what we did not expect is that people have been throwing in extra money just because the like the place. And they're also rounding-up on their purchases".

Brekke says profits are averaging about 15-percent higher than what they were expecting. Customers can pay by cash, check, or credit card. He says, "There's a slot for putting cash or check. Obviously there's a problem with leaving cash, if you don't have exact change. So I have a sign that says "Exact change is not necessary. If your want to help us stay in business round up, if you want to give yourself a break round down." And so people are rounding up."

Brekke says he's done a lot of media interviews, especially with radio and TV stations on the two coasts. He says people out east and out west seem to be more surprised by customer's honesty than those of us who live here in the midwest.